Expansible bracelet



Oct. 30, 1951 H. F. EBERT EXPANSIBLE BRACELET Filed Nov. 50, 1946 FIG. 1

INVENTOR. HENRY F. EBERT BY 1 FIG.3

A TTORNEY Patented Oct. 30, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EXPANSIBLEBRACELET Henry F. Ebert, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application November 30, 1946, Serial No. 713,205 4 Claims. (01. 59-79)My invention relates to bracelets and more particularly to expansiblebracelets.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a flat bracelet of thistype which may be expanded from a length such that it snugly embracesthe wrist to a length permitting removal of the bracelet over the handof the wearer without requiring the release of any catch or the like.

Another object of my invention is to provide a bracelet all of thevisible parts of which may be made from flat stock, hence permitting theuse of gold filled base metal, the parts being arranged so that no rawedge is visible.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a bracelet in whichthe laterally extending members are connected to the end shells in sucha manner that it is not necessary to pierce the outer surface of theshells or to employ heat,

such as would be necessary in forming a soldered or welded joint, in theassembly.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from thefollowing description considered in connection with'the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part of the specification and of which:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged top View, partially in cross section, of a sectionof a bracelet in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top View on a somewhat smaller scale, partially in crosssection, showing several sections of the bracelet; and

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line III-III of Fig. 1 andon an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawings, reference character In indicates an end shellwhich may be stamped from flat stock so as to form a shallow hollow bodyopen at one side and having end walls l2. Received within the hollow endshell are the longitudinally extending legs M of a pair of generallytransverse members I6. Each of the end walls I2 is formed with aninturned lip l8 which engages within notches formed as shown in themembers l6. After the legs I4 have been inserted in the end shell, theends of these legs may be up-set, as indicated at 22, so as to spreadthe material of the legs within the shell so as to secure them in place.In addition, the side walls of the shell may be peaned over slightly, asshown at 24 in Fig. 3, so as to further anchor the parts in place.

Extending around the pair of members it adjacent to the end cap I0 is aband of metal 26 which may be formed from a strip of fiat stock into theshape of substantially a thin rectangle, the abutting ends being shownat 28.

2 A link 38a likewise formed from flat stock is located around one ofthe transverse members It before these members are assembled into theend cap, and a Z-shaped spring 32 is placed between one end of the linkand the member 16 around which the link extends. As shown particularlyin Fig. 1, this spring includes a straight portion 34 which lies alongthe inner side of the member 16 and is connected at one end by aninwardly extending loop 36 to a diagonal straight portion 38. The otherend of the diagonal portion is connected by means of an outwardlyextending loop 40 to another straight portion 42 which lies against theend of the link 3011. It will be noted that the outward extent of theloop 40 is no greater than the combined thickness of the link 30a andthe next link 30b which surrounds the other transverse member I6.

As shown in Fig. 2, another band 26 is located on the other side of thelinks 30a and 30b and this end of each of the transverse members I6 issecured in another end cap l0. However, for the sake of betterillustrating the construction, the band and the end cap have beenomitted from the righthand side of Fig. 1.

As shown in Fig. 2, the link 30a passes around a transverse member H3 inthe next unit of the bracelet, while the link 30b is similarly connectedto another unit. This is continued throughout the length of thebracelet, except that there is preferably provided near the middle ofthe bracelet a so-called dummy link 300, shown in Fig 2. It will benoted that this link is approximatelytwice the length of the other linksand it engages springs 32 in both of the units which it connects,whereas the other links engage a spring in only one of the units, as isclear from Fig. 1. The object of this dummy link is to provide foradditional expansion over that which could be obtained in a bracelet nothaving a dummy link. In other words, without a dummy link, there couldbe no movement between the link at one end of the bracelet and the unitat this end. This dummy link is preferably provided with a groove 44 atits central portion for the purpose of simulating the space betweenadjacent links when the bracelet is closed.

In Fig. 2 the lefthand portion of the bracelet is shown in expandedposition, while the righthand portion is shown in retracted or closedposition. It will be noted that the spring 32 is so constructed that,when fully compressed, the straight portion 42 is of such length that itdoes not contact the inwardly extending loop 36. Consequently, all thestraight portions can nest against each other, and thus occupy a minimumof space, which in turn permits a maximum expansion of the bracelet.This would not be possible if the straight portion 42 were of sufficientlength to contact the loop 36, or if the loop 48 extended outwardlyinstead of inwardly so as to hold the straight portion 34 away from thetransverse member l6. This has the additional advantage that anexcessive force applied to the bracelet can not injure the spring bycausing any of the loops to be flattened out and hence per manentlydeformed.

It will be noted that the raw edges of the end shells in and the bands26 abut each other so as not to be visible when in assembledrelation.Likewise, the raw edges of the links abut against the raw edges of thebands throughouttheirentire lengths when the bracelet is in closed or.retracted position and therefore are not normally visible. This is ofimportance as it makes-tit possible to use gold filled base metal forthe end caps, bands and links. Such metalcomprises a sheet of base metalon whiclr is rolled gold. Consequentlmwhen' such a sheet .is-rcut theedges areraw, inasmuch as the base metal becomes visible in the edge.However,- as above explained all such raw edges are completely concealedwhen the gbr-acelet isin normal retracted position.

It willalso-be noted that the transverse members 16 are secured withinthe end caps without the necessity of piercing the outersurface of thecaps or the necessity-of soldering orbrazing them together. j

7 While I have shown -and-described one more or less specific embodimentof my invention; it is to be understood that this has been done forpurposes-ofillustration only and that the scope of my invention is notto be limited thereto, but is to be determined from the appendedclaims;

What is claimed:

1. In a bracelet, a pair of hollow -'end shell members, a pair oftransverse members having substantially perpendicularly disposed legmembersat-opposite ends thereof, said leg members beingdisposed within"said end shell memberswith the free ends of the .legmembers in con'fronting relation; and means for securing said leg membersrin' saidshell members comprisingmateriakdisplaced'from one-"or" said "members;

ZpIn abracelet, a pair of hollow endshell members having bottom, sideandend-wallsy-a pair of transverse barshavingsubstantiallyperpendicularly disposed" leg member's at-opposite' endsthereof said leg members'being disposed ends thereof, said leg membersbeing disposed within said end shell members with the free ends of theleg members in confronting relation and said bars having notchesadjacent to said end walls, lips projecting inwardly from said end wallsfor engaging said notches, and means for securely fixing said legmembers in said end shells comprising material displaced from said legmembers against the innerside walls of said endshell members,and-material of said side walls upset over said leg members. l p i 4. Ina bracelet, a pair of hollow end shell members, a pairof transversemembers having substantially perpendicularly disposed leg members atopposite ends thereof, said leg members being :disposed within said endshell members with the free ends of the leg members in confrontingrelation, means for securing said leg members ;in said shell memberscomprising material displaced fror n one of said members, a closed linkembracing -each of said transverse, members, and resilient means betweenone of said transverse members and the linl; embrac ing'it, saidresilient means comprising a spring having :a plurality of straightportions joinedby loops so arranged that when said-spring is fullycompressed said straight portions lie in parallel contact with eachother. a

I-EENRY EBERT.

sameness CITED 7 The following references are of record in thefile ofthispatent:

UNITED STPITES' PATENTS iib r. flam t 379,562 B'r'i lierh ofi Mar. 1'3,18818. $18,910 Seng Feb. -1, I899 seams Wi1de Feb. .5, 1907, 1,830,188Bellavance Nov. 3, .1931 2,392,105 Blumstein Jan 1, 1946

